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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. C. PAGE.. EMERGENCY VAULT PoE BANKS.

No. 567,110. Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

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VILLIAM O. PAGE, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OE TWVO-THIRDS TO VILLIAM L. BAIN AND VILLIAIWI R. BUSHBY, OF SAME PLACE.

EM ERG ENCY-VAU LT FOR BANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,110, dated September 1, 1896.

Application iiled August 2,1895.

T0 all whom tm/ay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. PAGE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pueblo, inthe county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Emergency Vault or Safe for Banks, of which the following is a specication.

The invention relates to improvements in emergency vaults or safes for banks and the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide for banks and other business-houses, where a large amount of money is required to be placed on the counter, table, or other support for use, an emergency vault or safe, adapted to form a support for such money and capable of operation at a distance from it to cause the money supported by it to drop within it to prevent a robbery.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a vault or safe constructed in accordance with thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the hinged top being dropped and the door being open to show the interior arrangement. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating the construction of the tripping mechanism. Fig. l is a detail perspective view of the tripping mechanism.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings. A

l designates a vault or safe having a droptop 2, hinged at 3 to the body of the vault or safe and adapted, when in a horizontal position, to form a support for mon'ey, as illus trated in Eig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The safe or vault is constructed of suitable material,such as steel,and is designed to be arranged in a bank or the like where a large amount of money is constantly handled and where such money has to be in convenient position for instant use.

The free edge of the hinged top is normally supported by a horizontally-disposed bolt 4, located at one side or end of the vault or safe,

in a suitable opening thereof, and having its Serial No. 558,042. (No-model.)

inner end projecting into the vault or safe -and forming a support for the hinged top 2 thereof. The outer end ofthe bolt is connected with one arm of the bell-crank lever 5, which is fulcrumed at its angle on the exterior of the vault or safe and which has its other arm connected by cables 6 or any other.

suitable connection with different points of the bank or other place where the emergencysafe is employed to enable any of the bank employees or clerks to withdraw the bolt l in event of an attempt at robbery to cause the hinged top 2 to drop inward, thereby delivering all of the money supported by the same into the vault or safe 1'.

The downward or inward swing or drop of the hinged top 2 is limited bya stop 7, located beneath the top 2 and suitably mounted on or secured to one of the sides of the vault or safe and having an inclined upper face. When the hinged top is swung downward, as

clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanyc ing drawings, its lower or free end is separated by a slight space from an inclined partition S, which is rigidly mounted within the vault or safe and located adjacent to the free end of the hinged top. The money which is supported by the hinged top slides down the same as soon as the top is dropped, and it is delivered by the top upon the inclined rigidlymounted partition 8 and is continued downward by the same until it passes through the space between the lower end of the hinged top andthe inclined partition and falls from the latter. Before reaching the bottom of the vault or safe the money comes in contact with an inclined partition or chute 9, which throws the money in a mass beneath the upper inclined partition or chute 8. The lower inclined partition or chute 9 is arranged in a direction opposite to that of the upper one, and the latter cooperates with the hinged top to prevent access to the interior of the vault or safe below the upper partition or chute. This prevents the burglar from reaching the money after the hinged top has been dropped.

rl`he outward movement of the bolt 4 is limited by a stop 10, having an L-shaped arm extending beyond the outer end of the bolt and arranged to be engaged by the adjacent arm of the bell-crank lever when the tripping mechanism is operated, and Wires 11 and 12 are connected, respectively, to the stop and the bell-crank lever, and are designed to eX- tend to a suitable electric alarm-bell, which is rung when the mechanism is tripped and which may be located at any suitable point. lVhen the bolt is in position for supporting the hinged top of the vault or safe, the circuit is broken, but as soon as the tripping mechanism is operated the circuit is simultaneously closed and the alarm is sounded, as will be readily understood. Any suitable mechanism, such as hand-levers, treadles, or the like, may be employed for actuating the connections 6 and operating the trip mechanism.4

The vault or safe is provided with a door 13, Which is secured when closed by a suit-v able combination-lock 14.

It Will be seen that the emergency vault or safe is adapted to be employed in banks and other places Where a large amount of money is constantly handled and is required to be in convenient position for instant use, and that it affords a support for such money and is capable of operation 'from various points to cause the money supported by it to drop within it. It Will also be apparent that after the hinged top has dropped and the money delivered into the interior of the safeit is absolutely inaccessible through the open top of the vault or safe.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

That I claim is- 1. The combination of a vault or safe having a door at one side and provided with a hinged top arranged to swinginward, the stop 7 mounted Within the vault or safe arranged at one end thereto and having an inclined upper face to support the hinged top in an inclined position, the oppositely-inclined partitions rigidly mounted in the vault or safe and forming a tortuous passage, a locking device for supporting the hinged top in a horizontal position, and an alarm-sounding mechanism connected with the locking device and automatically operated by the same When the locking device is tripped, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a vault or safe having a hinged top arranged to swing inward and having its inward movement limited,` an inclined partition or chute mounted 'Within the vault or safe and located beneath the free end of the hinged top, a bolt mounted on the vault or safe and arranged to support the hinged top in a horizontal position, a bellcrank lever connected With the bolt, a stop for limiting the outward movement of the bolt, means for operating the bell-crank lever, and electric Wires connected with the stop and the lever and adapted to have their circuit closed by the lever when the hinged top is tripped whereby an alarm is sounded, substantially as described. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

BENJ. MATTICE, C. F. TAYLOR. 

